


Ruler Of The Heart

by Onthecyberseas



Series: Ruler Of The Heart [1]
Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, Disapproving Family, F/F, F/M, Femslash, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 18:48:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6765628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onthecyberseas/pseuds/Onthecyberseas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Months after the events of Frozen, Elsa hosts an ice themed ball. She never expected to fall in love, especially not with a princess. Originally posted on FFN.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Summer turned to fall and the citizens of Arendelle put the events of the summer behind them. It would be easy to say that things had gone back to normal, but they hadn't. In fact, things were far better. The gates around the castle were now open and Queen Elsa had taken her new responsibilities to heart and the citizens were pleased to find that Elsa was a fair and benevolent queen. Elsa and her sister's relationship had been strengthened in the months that had passed and it was rare to see either of them without the other. Things were good in Arendelle and everyone was happy.

Things were so good in fact, that Elsa announced that she was hosting a ball and was inviting royals from all over, except the Southern Isles and Weselton, for obvious reasons. Elsa was pleased that many responded favorably to her invitation and Anna was thrilled to meet all of the new people coming to the castle.

The ball was underway and the room was decked out with ice sculptures that Elsa had created. In the past few months, she had gotten more comfortable with her abilities. Elsa watched the partygoers and made polite conversation with those who came up to her. A handsome prince from Italy asked her to dance, but she declined, telling him that she didn't dance. He seemed like a nice guy, but she just wasn't interested in him in that way.

She watched as her sister and Kristoff awkwardly danced in the middle of the dance floor. Anna kept trying to lead, but he kept stepping all over her feet. Elsa couldn't help but giggle at the pair. Still, she was happy that Anna was happy and she approved of Kristoff for the simple reason that he made her happy.

Soon, Anna and Kristoff grew tired of dancing and made their way over to the queen. Elsa smiled as they came over. "Having fun?"

Anna grinned back at her sister, "You know it!"

Kristoff excused himself to check on Sven and Anna led Elsa over to the table loaded with different types of chocolate. The sisters took some chocolate and began to devour it, watching the guests of the ball. Elsa looked through the crowd and her eyes fell on a beautiful princess with dark skin, twinkling brown eyes, and an alluring red dress. Her black hair was neatly tied up in a bun. Elsa's heart started racing, she seriously thought for a moment that she was having a heart attack. The mysterious girl looked up at her and their eyes met. The girl smiled at her and Elsa awkwardly waved her hand.

She turned to Anna who was oblivious to what had just happened. "Do you know who that princess over there is?" She gestured in the girl's direction. "The one in the red dress?"

Anna turned to look at the girl. She simply shrugged, "No idea."

At that moment, Kristoff came back over and Anna went with him to mingle in the crowd. Anna and Elsa's cousin Rapunzel and her husband Eugene came over to talk to them. Elsa finished the last of her chocolate and made her way to the mysterious girl. She was determined to find out who she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa made her way to the princess, who turned to her as she walked up. "Queen Elsa," said the princess smiling at her, "I was wondering when you would come over."

Elsa blushed as she held out her hand, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss?"

"Asha," replied the princess, "Princess Asha of the Swahili Coast." She took Elsa's hand and shook it.

"Are you enjoying yourself Asha?" Elsa did her best to ignore the goose bumps on her arms.

"Quite well," replied the princess, "Though it's a little more subdued than I'm used to."

Elsa laughed, "It's kind of the way things have been around here for a while."

The music sped up and Asha looked over at the queen, "Shall we dance?" Elsa was very nervous about dancing, but she surprised herself when she nodded and allowed Asha to escort her to the dance floor. Elsa didn't really dance, but she followed the lead of the princess who was moving to the music.

From afar, Kristoff and Anna watched the queen and her mysterious partner. Anna was watching her sister curiously, knowing that it was nearly impossible to get her to dance. She was surprised, yet thrilled to see her sister smiling. Though she had a strange look on her face as she looked at the princess, it was almost like how Kristoff looked at her. That greatly confused Anna, but she still had a lot to learn about her sister.

Soon, the song ended and Elsa brought Asha over and introduced her to Anna and Kristoff. Anna smiled as she shook Asha's hand, "Pleasure to meet you."

 

The ball had been going on for hours, and Sven was getting tired of being locked in the stables. He pushed against the door, hoping that it would open.

"We can't go out Sven," said Olaf, who was in the stable with Sven to keep him company. They had become fast friends after their journey to save Arendelle from the winter. Sven let out a disgruntled snort and sat on the pile of hay.

A maid came over to the stables, holding a bushel of carrots. She reached the stable and opened the door. She held out the carrots and Sven eagerly took them. The maid reached over to pet the reindeer, but Sven saw his opportunity. He ran around her and through the open door. Now that he was free, he ran toward the main castle. Olaf ran after him shouting, "Wait!"

 

Elsa, Anna and Kristoff stood by the refreshment table, talking to Asha. Asha had a lot of interesting stories to tell and Elsa was pleased at how Anna seemed to like her.

They were interrupted by a couple of shouts and Elsa looked towards the door to find Kristoff's reindeer running straight toward them. The other royals jumped out of the way as Sven came barreling over to Kristoff. He ran into the refreshment table, showering the four of them with drinks.

Kristoff ran over to calm Sven. Elsa saw that Asha was dripping and she stepped forward. "I'm so sorry."

"Does this happen often?" Asha did not seem to be at all upset.

Elsa shook her head, then said, "We have a change of clothes in our dressing room," she paused, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Elsa and Anna led Asha out of the ballroom and through the hallways of the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa and Asha reached the dressing room and Elsa went through her closet to find a dress for Asha to wear as Asha waited. Elsa found a red dress similar to the one that Asha had been wearing and she stepped out of the dress closet. Elsa held out the dress for Asha and she nodded, "That one works just fine." She turned around so that her back was to Elsa, "Unzip me?"

Elsa tentatively stepped up to Asha as her heart beat as loudly as a drum. Her hands shook as she pulled the zipper down on the dress. Asha removed the straps from her shoulder and the dress pooled around her ankles.

Asha turned around and Elsa held the dress in front of her, trying to look anywhere but at the half-naked princess in front of her. Asha took note of her reaction, smirking as she took the dress from the queen.

Once she pulled the new dress on, she turned back around. Elsa walked back up to her and zipped up the dress. "Thank you," said Asha.

She turned around and found herself face to face with Elsa. She stared into the queen's eyes as Elsa was frozen in place. They stayed like that for a few moments. Acting on instinct, Asha leaned in and kissed Elsa.

Elsa's eyes widened as the princess kissed her. She hadn't been expecting this at all, though she liked the feeling of Asha's lips on her own. She had never kissed anyone before and she was pleased to find out that kissing was as good as Anna had described. She tentatively kissed Asha, allowing herself to act on the feelings that had been building all evening.

Asha pulled away and smiled at her, glad that her feelings were reciprocated. At that moment, Elsa thought about how everyone would react, how everyone would think that she was more of a freak than she already was. She was terrified at the prospect, but she was also terrified at the prospect of letting the princess into her heart.

She backed away, fear in her eyes and heart. Asha looked at her with concern, "Are you alright?"

Elsa nodded as she backed towards the door, "Y-Yes. It's just…I shouldn't have." Her hand reached the knob and she looked back at Asha. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as she escaped out of the room.

Asha watched her leave and walked over to an armchair in the corner of the room. She slumped into the seat, replaying the evening's events in her mind. Had she misread the signs? It had appeared that the queen shared her feelings. It couldn't be. The queen had kissed her back and she was sure that she had enjoyed it as well. She sighed. "I guess some things aren't meant to be," she said to herself in the empty room. She stood up and walked through the castle to her room for the evening. She didn't feel like going back to the party after what had happened.

A few rooms away, Elsa sat against the door of her bedroom, like she had for years when she longed to go out and build a snowman with her sister. She felt terrible for leaving Asha like that. She had feelings for her, but she didn't want to hurt her. It was best for both of them.

 

Back in the ballroom, Anna walked around the room looking for Kristoff, having just changed into a new dress. She entertained the various guests, but her eyes were looking around the room for her boyfriend.

She finally saw him come back into the room and walked over to him. He smiled as she came over. "I put Sven back in the stables. He won't try coming back in here again."

Anna smiled, "Thanks Kristoff."

Kristoff looked around the ballroom and back to Anna. "Want to go for a walk?"

Anna nodded and Kristoff led her out of the castle and into the chilly autumn air. As they walked, they talked about the various guests at the ball. They reached the lake and Anna sat on the dock. Kristoff sat next to her. "It's a beautiful night," said Anna looking at the stars over the lake.

Kristoff nodded, "It is. Not as beautiful as you though."

Anna blushed, "Did the love experts tell you to say that?"

Kristoff laughed and shook his head, "No, that one's all me." They sat there in comfortable silence before Kristoff cleared his throat, "Um, Anna."

Anna turned to him, "Yes Kristoff?"

Gathering his courage, Kristoff said, "I really like being with you and…I think I'm in love with you."

Anna was at a loss for words. She really cared for Kristoff and enjoyed her time with him but she wasn't ready to say those words back. She didn't want to say them until she meant it. Realizing that Kristoff was waiting for her to say something back, she replied, "Thank you. I really like you too."

Kristoff frowned and was a little heartbroken. He knew how traumatic her experience with Hans had been, but he had hoped that she would be able to move on and open her heart again. Still, he had to respect that she wasn't ready for that yet.

Anna noticed his sadness and said, "I'm really sorry." She yawned and stood up, "I should probably head back to the castle." She kissed him on the cheek, "Good night."

Kristoff watched as she walked away. "Good night Anna." He whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa slowly opened her eyes as the sunlight streamed in through the window. The events from the previous night went through her mind like a blur, and then started becoming clearer. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice called from the other side. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Sitting up and throwing the covers off, Elsa grinned as she got dressed. She ran to the door and opened it, "Good morning Anna."

Anna smiled back glad that the door was finally able to open. She mock curtsied at her sister, "Good morning your majesty." She grabbed her sister's hand and took her out to a private courtyard. Elsa worked her magic and snow started to fall over where they were standing. Anna gleefully cheered as the snow fell on the ground.

Though Elsa was able to build snowmen effortlessly with her magic, she preferred taking the time to build them with her sister. She helped Anna roll the snowballs and stacked them on top of each other. A few more touches and their snowman was complete.

Admiring their hard work, Elsa and Anna sat on a nearby bench. Sensing that her sister wanted to talk to her about something, Elsa turned to Anna. "Did you enjoy the rest of the ball?"

Anna paused before responding, "Yeah, I had a great time…"

After Elsa noticed that Anna had trailed off, she asked, "And?"

Anna sighed, "Kristoff told me that he loved me."

Elsa looked at her sister with a confused expression, "What's wrong with that?" When Anna didn't answer, she filled the silence, "It's Hans isn't it?"

Anna nodded. Elsa put her hand on Anna's. "Nobody knew he was going to do that."

"You did."

"I didn't want you to be engaged to a man that you just met. That doesn't mean that I knew he was going to turn into a terrible person." Anna nodded and Elsa continued, "Life is filled with heartbreak, but it's filled with triumph as well. You have to put the heartbreak behind you and savor the triumphs. You can't shut yourself away and not live your life. I tried that, it doesn't work." Anna and Elsa laughed.

Anna considered her sister's words. She knew that she was right. Kristoff obviously cared about her and she couldn't let her past experiences stop her from loving him. "You're right," said Anna, "though you should probably follow your own advice as well.

Elsa looked flustered, "What do you mean?"

Anna looked at her sister, "I saw those sparks with that Princess Asha last night."

"Really?" Elsa asked in surprise.

Anna nodded, "You're not subtle at all." As much as Anna was joking, she was glad that her sister was trying to get rid of her old "Conceal, don't feel" mantra.

Elsa's mind went to last night, remembering the kiss that she and Asha had shared, then what she had done. "It doesn't exactly work in my case."

Anna furrowed her brow, "Why wouldn't it?"

"I kind of pushed her away last night."

"Then go find her, apologize, tell her how you feel. She'll be leaving soon." Anna saw that her sister was still contemplating this, "Even though your relationship would be unconventional, everyone will accept it once they see how happy you are."

Elsa looked at her sister, "You really think so?"

"Of course, you're Queen, you have a say in the laws around here."

Elsa nodded, knowing that her sister had a point. "You're okay with this?"

Anna laughed, "Elsa, I jumped in front of a sword for you, I love you no matter what." To prove her point, she embraced her sister and Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna in return.

"I love you too, Anna," Elsa lost herself in her sister's embrace.

A few feet away, Olaf stood up from his hiding place. He wanted his maker to be happy and he knew what he had to do. He ran towards the castle.

 

Asha walked through the halls of the castle, admiring the art that adorned the walls. She would be leaving the castle in a few hours and heading back home to her father and her kingdom.

"Excuse me," said a voice coming from behind her. She looked around and didn't see anyone in the room. She felt something pulling on her dress and she looked down. At her feet was a walking, talking snowman. It looked up at her, "Hi."

Asha backed away, resisting the urge to scream. The snowman kept walking towards her. Putting the twigs he had for arms in front of him, "Calm down Princess," he continued to walk towards her as Asha backed up against the wall, "My name is Olaf. Elsa created me."

At the mention of Elsa's name, she looked down at Olaf, "Elsa created you?" Olaf nodded, "Did she send you to talk to me?"

Olaf shook his head, "She doesn't know I'm here."

"Why are you here?" Asha asked, getting more confused by the moment.

Olaf walked over to the steps and sat down. Patting the seat next to him, he gestured for her to come over. Asha walked over and sat down looking curiously at the snowman. "Elsa's a good person. She didn't mean to hurt you," Olaf explained.

Asha sighed, "I know she isn't, but…"

"She's scared," Olaf filled in the rest of her sentence.

"Of me?"

"In general."

Asha looked around the room and then back at Olaf, "I've heard rumors about what happened here. There was a curse and everything was frozen, but that's about it. What happened here?"

Olaf took a deep breath and explained everything. He started with Elsa's isolation and the opening of the gates. He continued with the incident at Elsa's coronation that froze all of Arendelle. He described his and Anna's journey to bring back summer and its eventual outcome.

Asha sat and listened to the story with great interest. As she heard what Elsa had to go through, she gained a whole new understanding about the queen. After Olaf finished the story, Asha thought hard about everything. She should be angry with Elsa for pushing her away, but despite what had happened she still had feelings for her.

She stood up and smiled down at the snowman, "Thanks Olaf." She walked out of the room and went to find Elsa. She needed to speak to the queen.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna ran towards the stables, searching for Kristoff. She was finally ready to tell him how she felt and to spend the day with him. Her hopes were dashed when she arrived at the stables and found that neither Kristoff or Sven were there. She looked around the stables, but they were nowhere to be found. She saw a stable boy tending to one of the horses and ran up to him. Hearing her coming, he turned around and smiled at the princess.

"Good afternoon, princess Anna," he greeted her as he held out a letter to her.

"Good morning Erik," Anna replied, taking the letter from him despite her confusion. She opened the letter and saw that it was from Kristoff. She sat on a bale of hay as she read the letter.

Anna,

I found out this morning that Grand Pabbie is sick and I have left with Sven to visit him. I'm so sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, but I will hopefully be back in a few days. I'm not mad at you for last night and I am not leaving because of that. I understand your hesitation and will wait until you're ready. I hope to see you again very soon.

-Kristoff

Anna looked up from the letter and leaned her head against the wood of the stable. She still felt terrible even though Kristoff had made it clear that he wasn't upset with her. She knew that he had to leave for his family, but she hoped that he would be back soon.

 

Elsa had searched all over the castle for Asha, but she hadn't been able to find her. Every empty room she stumbled into, increased her fear that the princess had already left. She stepped into the courtyard out of the castle doors and glanced around. To her relief, she saw Asha walk into the courtyard.

Picking up her dress, she ran towards her, calling out her name. Asha turned around and smiled at the queen. "I've been searching all over for you."

Elsa nervously smiled back, "As have I." She gestured to a nearby bench, "Can we talk?" Asha nodded as they sat down next to each other on the bench. Elsa cleared her throat, "I'm really sorry about last night. I was scared and fear and I don't go well together."

Asha laughed, "So I've heard." Elsa looked at her curiously and Asha replied, "Your talking snowman told me about it."

Elsa was surprised that Olaf had talked to Asha as though he knew what she was feeling, but she was even more surprised that Asha wasn't running away from her, as she would have expected. "You're okay with my powers?"

Asha nodded, "While it's unusual, it doesn't change how I feel about you…and besides it's actually kind of cool."

Elsa grinned; she was thrilled that she hadn't scared Asha away. Now that that barrier was out of the way, she gathered the courage to follow her heart. She looked into the princess' eyes and said, "I know you're leaving soon, but I-I was wondering if you would spend the evening with me?"

"I would like that," Asha smiled.

"Great," Elsa's heart beat with elation, "I'll meet you in the dining room when the sun sets."

Asha stood up, "It's a date. See you later your majesty." She walked away to prepare for the evening. As Asha walked away, Elsa let out a small whoop of excitement. She walked into the castle to talk to the kitchen staff. She was thrilled that she was going to spend the evening with Asha and she was excited but terrified to finally open her heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Asha studied her reflection in the mirror, putting her hair into a bun. She put on a little bit of makeup and smiled into the mirror. When she was satisfied with her look, she left her room and walked through the halls of the castle and down the stairs to the dining room. When she entered the room, she found Elsa sitting at the table that was adorned with different plates of food.

Elsa saw Asha come into the room and stood up. She walked over to her and held out her hand. "Hey," she said nervously. A blush colored her pale cheeks.

"Hello," replied Asha as she took Elsa's hand. Despite her usual confidence, she was a little nervous as well. Elsa led Asha over to the table and pulled out a chair for her. Asha sat down and thanked her. She looked at the food at the table and saw many dishes that she had never seen before. However, everything looked delicious and her stomach rumbled.

Elsa returned to her seat and looked over at Asha, "I tried to find someone in the kitchen who knew how to make some of the dishes from your country, but I unfortunately couldn't," Elsa explained to her date, "I will try to find someone who can if you plan to visit more often."

Asha smiled, "It's not a problem at all. Everything looks delicious." She was pleased that the queen was so thoughtful and was trying to make her feel comfortable. Asha put a little bit of each dish on her plate and Elsa followed suit. Asha tasted everything on her plate, and though it wasn't what she was used to, it was actually pretty good.

As the two women ate, they talked about their lives. Asha was interested in hearing about the events of a few months ago from Elsa's perspective and Elsa enjoyed hearing about life in the Swahili Coast. Asha told her about her father and how overprotective he was of her and how she often snuck out of the castle to explore the nearby village and the plains of her kingdom.

As they talked, Elsa was falling for Asha more and more. After years of shutting herself off from the world, she had never thought that she would be able to find someone who would accept her for who she was. Asha made her feel like she was a normal person and she was also the most fascinating and beautiful person she had ever met.

After dinner and a slice of chocolate cake for each, Elsa led Asha out to the riverbank that she had made her escape through months ago. She turned to Asha and asked, "Have you ever ice skated before?"

Asha shook her head. "We don't get a lot of snow where I come from."

Elsa smiled, "It's okay, I'll teach you." She placed her foot on the water and the water froze for several feet. She looked over at Asha who was looking at the ice hesitantly. "It's safe. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"I don't have any skates," Asha replied. Elsa walked over and fashioned a pair of ice skates for her. She handed them to her and Asha looked at her in amazement. "You can make clothes too?"

Elsa gestured down to her dress, "I made this myself."

"That's a really cool trick." Asha pulled off her flat shoes and pulled on the ice skates. She stood up and tried not to fall over. Elsa noticed her discomfort and held her up. She guided her to the make shift ice rink and helped Asha step onto the ice. Asha wobbled as her skates touched the ice for the first time and she held onto Elsa.

Elsa let go and instructed, "It's important to steady yourself." Asha tried her best to keep her balance. It took a little getting used to, but she was able to stand without help. Elsa smiled when she managed to do it and grabbed her hand, "Now do what I do and I'll be holding you the entire way." Elsa moved her feet effortlessly, but she slowed her movements so Asha could mimic them. Asha started to move her feet and together, they did a few laps around the ice.

"You're doing fine," Elsa said, "Now I'm going to let go of you." She moved away from Asha, "Try skating towards me." Asha slowly made her way towards Elsa. She had moved a few feet when she slipped on the ice and fell down. Elsa skated towards her and helped her up, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Asha smiled, "Go back to where you were." Elsa skated back to her original position and watched as Asha tried to make it over to her. Soon, Asha got the hang of it and made her way towards Elsa.

As she reached the queen, Asha slipped. Elsa grabbed her and pulled her up. Their faces were inches away from each other and Elsa's heart was beating. They were in a similar position as they had been the night before. Not wanting to make the same mistake, Elsa pulled Asha into a kiss. Asha put her hand on Elsa's face as she kissed her.

After a while, Asha pulled away breathing heavily. "Cha mtima cha moyo."

Elsa looked at her curiously, "What does that mean?"

"It means 'what the heart loves is what it wants.'" Elsa's heart melted at the phrase, but instead of answering, she pulled the princess in for another kiss. For once, the worries were absent from her mind and Elsa wouldn't have it any other way.


	7. Chapter 7

One Week Later

The leaves fell all over Arendelle as Kristoff and Sven rode back to the castle in their recently replaced sled. They were both pleased to find that Grand Pabbie had recovered from his sickness and would be living for many more troll years. Kristoff enjoyed his time with his family, but he was glad to return to Anna.

They came upon the entrance of the castle and Sven turned to the right, pulling the sled toward the stables. At the side of the stable, Sven stopped and Kristoff jumped off. He unharnessed Sven from the sled and Sven ran into the open field. After Kristoff put the harness away, he turned around to see Anna running toward him. He couldn't help the smile that he wore at the sight of her.

"Welcome back," Anna panted, as she stopped in front of him out of breath. It seemed to Kristoff that she had run here. Anna confirmed his suspicions when she said, "I saw you and Sven riding in from my bedroom window."

Kristoff wrapped his arms around Anna and pulled her in for a hug, "It's good to be back," he paused, "I missed you." He tentatively leaned in to kiss her, unsure if she would let him after their talk before he had left.

Anna noticed his hesitation and leaned in, kissing him with passion. She pulled away and said, "I missed you too." She shifted awkwardly, "I've been thinking about what we talked about. I came to the realization just after you left, and thinking about it all week solidified my feelings." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I love you too."

Kristoff looked at her tentatively, "Really?"

"Absolutely," Anna nodded and leaned in to kiss him again. After what felt like hours, they pulled away and the lovers walked away from the stables, catching each other up on the past week.

 

As the sun set on the day, Elsa stood at the foot of the stairs, tapping her fingers against the wood. She looked up to see Asha come down the stairs. She grinned as she took in her beauty.

Asha reached the bottom of the stairs and pulled Elsa into a kiss. "Good evening," she said, "What's the plan for tonight?"

Elsa was about to answer when a booming voice behind her yelled, "ASHA."

Asha's usual confidence evaporated as her posture stiffened and she said meekly, "Father?"

Elsa turned around to see a large dark skinned man glaring at her. While he wasn't as beautiful as Asha, he was definitely her father. She tentatively stepped forward outstretching her hand, "Hello sir, I'm Queen Elsa…"

King Jelani ignored her and turned towards his daughter. "So this is where you've been." His voice softened slightly, "I was worried when you didn't arrive back on time."

All Asha managed to get out was, "I'm sorry."

Nodding, King Jelani demanded, "We're going home. Now."

"But father…"

"Now, Asha. We'll deal with your punishment later."

Asha looked sadly at Elsa before mouthing, "Goodbye," and walking towards the door. Her father followed her out.

Gathering her courage, Elsa took a deep breath and called after them, "Wait!"

The King turned around, nothing but hatred in his eyes. He walked towards Elsa and she took a step backward, her heart filled with fear. The King reached Elsa and struck her across the face. Elsa grabbed her face with one hand and the wooden railing with the other. She looked up at the King, who simply said, "You are an abomination and you are never to speak to my daughter again."

As he walked out of the castle with Asha in tow, Elsa gripped the wooden railing. Her fear froze her where she stood. The mark on her face was still painful, but she didn't know which wound was worse. Her thoughts were interrupted by a yell of, "Elsa!"

She looked up the stairs to see Anna running towards her, concern written all over her face. Anna reached her and pulled her hand from the railing. "It's okay. I'm here for you. I love you." Elsa finally removed her hand from the railing and the other from her face and wrapped her arms around her sister, finally letting the tears fall. Anna rubbed her back with one hand and ran her fingers through her hair with the other. "What happened?"

Elsa pulled away, wiping her tears as she whispered, "She's gone."

Anna pulled her closer, "I'm so sorry."

Soon they pulled away. Elsa smiled at her sister, "Thanks for being here."

Anna grinned, hoping to cheer up her sister. "Hey, I have an idea! Let's hang out in the kitchen tonight, just you and me. I can ask the kitchen staff to make us some chocolate cake."

Elsa nodded, "I like the sound of that. Will Kristoff mind?"

"He'll understand. You're my sister." She walked towards the kitchen and turned back to Elsa, "I'll be right back. You should unfreeze the railing while I'm gone." Elsa looked at her confused but turned around to see that she had accidentally frozen the railing during the confrontation. She waved her hand and the ice rose upward, forming a tiny snowflake before disappearing into thin air. Elsa sat on the steps as she waited for Anna.

Anna stepped into the hallway and made her way into the kitchen. She gave the kitchen staff instructions and made her way back to Elsa. As she walked down the hall, she jumped as a hand was placed over her mouth. She tried to scream and fight back, but she felt a sharp pain as something hit her over the head. Her eyes closed and all consciousness left her as she slumped into the arms of her captor.


	8. Chapter 8

Anna slowly opened her eyes. She was in a room that had no furniture and no decoration on the wooden walls. The room appeared to be rocking as if she was on a boat. Anna moved her hands to find that they were tied together, restricting her movement. The last thing she remembered was talking to the kitchen staff and making her way back to Elsa. She was confused about how she ended up here. All she knew was that she didn't come here willingly and she was afraid of her kidnappers intentions.

The door at the edge of the room opened slowly and Anna looked at the door with trepidation. A young brunette man walked into the room followed by a face that she thought she would never see again.

"I should have known that you were behind this Duke," Anna stated coolly sizing up her captors.

The Duke of Weselton smiled at her, "Nice to see you again Princess Anna." He gestured toward the younger man, "I see you've had the pleasure of meeting my son."

Anna looked at the younger man and flashed back to her last memories. She remembered walking down the hall and the hand that had covered her mouth. She remembered trying to scream, but everything went black. She felt throbbing pain in her head where she had been struck. She glared at the Duke, "What do you want?"

The Duke smiled, "To help my kingdom." He looked at Anna's confused expression and explained, "Before your sister's sorcery, Arendelle was one of our best trading partners. Now our economy is in the toilet"

"And you're holding me hostage so my sister will agree to trade with you," Anna finished for him.

"You've always been a clever girl," the Duke replied.

"I wish I could say the same about you," Anna replied, gathering her courage.

The Duke glared at her, "I beg your pardon?"

Anna couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, "You know what my sister is capable of. You witnessed it first hand. Did you really think that she would negotiate with you after this?" The Duke furrowed his brow and Anna knew that she had him right where she wanted. "Clearly, you didn't think this plan through."

As the Duke opened his mouth to retort, the ship came to a halt. The Duke and his son grabbed the wall for support and the chair that Anna was tied to lurched forward slightly. The door opened and a guard poked his head through. "Sir, it appears that we are frozen in place."

The Duke groaned as the sounds of screaming men were heard outside. Soon silence fell over the ship. The Duke put his face in his hands, realizing he really didn't think this plan through. The door was thrown open and Elsa stepped into the room. Anna smiled up at her rescuer and Elsa smiled back.

Elsa turned her attention to the Duke, who cowered behind his son. "I thought I banished you from Arendelle."

"P-Please, your majesty," the Duke stuttered, "All I wanted to do was to get you to reconsider your position."

Glancing at Anna, Elsa said firmly, "My position is unchanged." She moved closer to the Duke and his son who backed away from her. "I never want to see either of your faces in Arendelle again. If you disobey me or harass me or my sister ever again, I will make sure that you regret it."

With that she walked over to Anna and untied her. Free of her restraints, Anna pulled her sister into a hug. "Thank you," Anna said.

Elsa smiled, "No problem." She held her hand out, "Let's get out of here."

They walked out of the room and Anna saw that the harbor had been completely frozen and a large prison of ice enveloped the Duke's men, who were pounding on the ice. Elsa led Anna off the ship, through the harbor and onto dry land. Once they reached the safety of Arendelle, Elsa unfroze all of the ice and everything was as it should be. The men of the Weselton ship ran to their positions and hurriedly sailed away from Arendelle.

As the ship disappeared into the sea, Anna glanced up at Elsa. "Thanks again for saving me."

"Thank Olaf as well," Elsa replied as the snowman ran up to Anna and hugged her, "He saw the men carrying you towards the ship."

Anna kneeled down and gave Olaf a warm hug, "Thank you Olaf."

Olaf relaxed into the hug, "I'm glad you're safe Anna."

A shout of, "Anna!" came from behind the group, Anna turned around to see Kristoff galloping towards them on the back of Sven. Sven reached the group and stopped. Anna pet Sven as Kristoff jumped off the reindeer's back and ran towards her. He wrapped his arms around her as she kissed him. Elsa watched the happy couple with a mixture of happiness for her sister and sadness as she thought about Asha.

Anna pulled away and looked over at her sister, "So, what now?"

"Now, we celebrate." The rest of the group smiled while Elsa looked away with sadness on her face. She was happy for them, but she felt a deep sadness in her heart over the previous evening's event. She saw that Anna was looking at her worriedly and she put on a smile. "I'll arrange everything," Elsa said, "You should relax." She walked towards the castle to make the preparations.


	9. Chapter 9

Later that evening, the ballroom once again came to life. Though there were far less people in attendance than there was a week ago, there were a few nobles that came around to celebrate Elsa's rescue and Anna's safe return to Arendelle. The nobles danced in the middle of the floor as the singer sang some of Anna and Elsa's favorite songs. Elsa was pleased that she had been able to get traveling musician Adele Dazeem to perform while she was staying in Arendelle. Neither Elsa nor Anna had heard her sing before, but the rumor was that she was wickedly talented. Hearing her perform tonight confirmed the rumor.

Anna and Kristoff swayed to the music in the middle of the dance floor. He was starting to get the hang of dancing, or at least he was stepping on Anna's feet far less these days. Elsa hurriedly walked around the room, talking to the guests and making sure that they were having a good time.

She stopped at the edge of the floor to take a breather. Her mind flashed back to the ball that was over a week ago. She saw Asha smiling at her in her red dress through the crowd, standing out among the other royals. As she watched the couples on the floor, she remembered her dance with Asha and how her heart raced. Now, her heart just ached. Not being able to bear the memories that haunted this place, she turned around and walked out of the ballroom.

A butler came up to her expressing his concern. Elsa told him that she wasn't feeling well and left him in the foyer. Her mind raced as her feet took her up the stairs. Before she knew it, she found herself standing in her dressing room. Elsa looked around the room, and the memory of her and Asha's first kiss came to mind. The tears flooded her eyes as she slumped onto the floor.

"Elsa?" Elsa stood up wiping tears from her eyes as she turned to see Anna standing in the doorway. Anna ran to her sister and hugged her as she had done the previous night when Asha's father had taken her away. "It's okay."

Instead of falling into her sister's embrace, Elsa pulled away, "Go back to your party."

Anna's brow furrowed, "Don't push me away again. I'm always going to be here."

Elsa saw the hurt in Anna's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It's okay," Anna replied. She pulled Elsa to the only chair in the room and made her sit down. "Now what's wrong?"

Elsa opened and closed her mouth several times. All she managed to get out was, "She's gone."

Anna crouched down to Elsa's eye level, "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Elsa replied, "Her father hates me and he'll never let her come back."

"Then convince him that you're the best option for her." When she got no response, she said, "You're the queen of Arendelle and you have awesome ice powers. You're a kind sister and a great person. What's not to like about you?"

Elsa could come up with a few reasons, but simply said, "It's not going to work."

"And moping around will?" Elsa looked a little hurt, but Anna continued, "What's that saying? You don't know until you try?"

Elsa looked at her sister. She envied her optimism and her bravery, but her years in isolation had caused her to lose both. Still, her sister had a point. Even if she failed, it would be nice to see Asha's beautiful face one more time. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Will you go with me?"

Anna smiled, "Of course!"

Standing firm in her decision, Elsa said, "Then we leave tomorrow morning."

Anna threw her arms around her sister, "Let's go get your girl back." Elsa stood up and embraced her sister, nervous but determined to complete her mission.


	10. Chapter 10

"Just be yourself," Anna said as she adjusted the straps of Elsa's dress, "You can do this."

Elsa smiled as she tried to conceal her nervousness, "Thanks."

"Good luck," Olaf said as he walked into the room carrying a deck of cards.

Elsa patted Olaf on the head before pulling her sister into one last hug. "I'll be back soon," she said, "unless her father kills me."

"Stop it. You'll be fine," Anna encouraged her sister, "Good luck."

Elsa waved goodbye as Olaf laid the deck of cards on the table and sat in the chair. Anna waved back as she sat in the chair opposite of Olaf and started to shuffle the deck. Elsa left the room and stood on the deck of their ship overlooking the Swahili coast. On the land, she saw animals running around that she had seen only in her books.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed onto the dock with two of her guards. She stopped and asked a local fisherman for directions to the palace. As she walked along the path, her steps were small and unsure. A few times she considered turning back and heading home, but she knew that she had to do this.

Soon, she could see the sight of a palace in the distance and her breathing started to quicken. She felt a wave of nausea overcome her, but she steadied herself on a nearby post. A couple of deep breaths later and she continued her walk towards the palace.

She reached the palace and a guard approached her, "Who are you?"

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"And what business do you have with the King?"

"I wish to speak to him." The guard looked her over, and gestured for her to follow him. She told her guards to wait outside then followed the palace guards through the doors of the palace. Elsa stepped into the palace and noticed how different it looked from Arendelle's castle. Many animal skins and tribal patterns adorned the walls and King Jelani sat in the middle of the room on his throne.

At the sight of her, the King's eyes narrowed, "You."

Gathering her courage, Elsa straightened her posture. "Please, your majesty. I just want to talk."

"There is nothing to talk about, your majesty," the King said coldly.

"I wish to ask for your permission to court your daughter."

That got the King's attention. He sized up Elsa before laughing, "You're a woman."

Elsa nodded, "I am, but I care about your daughter and as I am Queen of Arendelle I will be able to provide her with the safety and security fit for a Queen."

"You haven't known my daughter for very long, and here you are asking me for permission to court her?"

"That is what it takes to see her again."

King Jelani laughed and gestured to his two guards, "Take her away."

The guards grabbed Elsa's arms. She tried to struggle but the men were stronger than her. At that moment, Asha came into the room. Her eyes locked with Elsa's. "Elsa?" She asked in disbelief.

As the guards were pulling her out of the room, Elsa said the only thing she wanted to say to her in that moment, "Cha mtima cha moyo." Asha smiled and mouthed the words back to her.

The King, hearing the exchange, suddenly stood up, "Stop." The guards let Elsa go and she rubbed her arm where one of the guards had tightly gripped her. She looked at the King, trying to mask her confusion. The King stepped forward so that he was in front of Elsa. "You really have feelings for my daughter?"

Elsa nodded, "Absolutely."

The King looked between his daughter and her suitor. Asha looked pleadingly at her father, "Please father." The King looked into his daughter's eyes and his eyes softened.

Having made his decision, the King made his way back to his throne. Looking at Elsa, he said, "I don't necessarily approve, but I can't be the one to get in the way of love. You have my permission to see my daughter."

Asha ran to her father and hugged him, "Thank you father." She walked over to Elsa and pulled her into a hug. Elsa wrapped her arms around Asha, elated over the turn of events.

King Jelani cleared his throat and the girls looked over at him, "Now we're going to need to discuss what this means for our kingdoms."

Elsa nodded, "Yes, your majesty."

"But now you and my daughter should go for a walk." Elsa smiled as Asha linked their hands together. They walked out of the palace, catching up on their time apart. Elsa looked lovingly at Asha, excited for the future.


	11. Chapter 11

One Year Later

Elsa nervously fidgeted with her hair as she sat on the grassy area next to the lake. She glanced over towards the castle as she reached into her pocket and clasped her fingers around the ring resting there. She still couldn't believe that she was about to do this. Despite a pep talk from Anna and having helped Kristoff with his own proposal to her sister, she was still worried that something would go horribly wrong.

In the past year, Asha and Elsa had grown closer. They had spent the past months visiting each other at their kingdoms and Elsa's feelings had only deepened. After all of this time, the initial spark that had ignited on their first meeting had never extinguished. It had taken a while, but Asha's father eventually warmed up to Elsa and her relationship with his daughter. Anna and Kristoff's engagement had helped her realize that she was ready to take the next step. Once she had her heart set on it, she asked the King for Asha's hand in marriage, which he approved.

Glancing over at the castle, her heart skipped as she saw Asha walk toward her. She looked like a vision in her green dress and seeing her took Elsa's breath away. She stood up and their eyes locked. Asha reached her and they stood only a few inches apart.

"Good evening," Asha said as she leaned in to kiss Elsa. Elsa kissed her back, but Asha sensed her nerves. Pulling away, she looked into the Queen's eyes, "Something wrong?"

Elsa shook her head, "Everything's perfect." She gestured to the picnic basket by her feet, "I'm just hungry."

Asha looked at her suspiciously, but resisted pressing the issue. She sat down next to Elsa and they ate their sandwiches while catching up on their day. Elsa was having an internal panic attack, but did her best to keep her cool. Asha sensed that something was up and couldn't hold it back any longer. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Elsa replied quickly.

Concerned, Asha put her hand over Elsa's in an attempt to calm her. "You know you can tell me anything."

Elsa's other hand reached back into her pocket and played with the ring. She knew that there was no use in waiting any longer, since Asha would see through her attempts to stall.

"Actually, there is something," said Elsa. She nodded toward the lake in front of them where they had gone ice-skating many times, "Remember our first date here?"

Asha masked her confusion and nodded, "Of course."

"This was where we ice-skated for the first time. It took you a while to get the hang of it," Elsa looked into Asha's eyes, "That was also the time I knew for sure that I wanted to be with you for as long as possible."

Elsa pulled out the ring from her pocket and held it in front of Asha. Upon seeing the ring, Asha's eyes widened and tears of joy sprang into her eyes. Before Elsa could say anything else, Asha excitedly answered, "Yes, absolutely Yes!" Elsa smiled before slipping the ring on her finger. Asha looked at the ring. It had a large diamond in the center of the ring and the band was studded with smaller diamonds.

Asha pulled Elsa into a kiss and they were both overjoyed that they would finally be married. As they pulled away, both girls were smiling, excited for their future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have never read any of my stories, I do a Behind The Scenes essay for each of my multi-chapter stories as a way to explain my writing process. I post these on my tumblr (onthecyberseas) and you can find all of them through the "BTS" link in the main menu.


End file.
